Lab #5

Date: 2/17/16

Location: Lumber River Conservancy

Lab Activity: Searching for winter breeding salamanders at Hamby's Bay

Habitat: Vernal Pool

Temperature: 61 F

Wind: 3 mph

Humidity: 39%

Tiger Salamander Ambystoma Tigrinum

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    The pattern of the Tiger Salamanders vary and can be spotted like the one we found but are usually striped like the name suggests. The base color is black and they have yellow markings. They have a short snout and can reach lengths of up to 14 inches making them the largest terrestrial salamander alive.

    You can find the Tiger Salamander over most of the continental USA, and you can find them burrowed in holes or underneath coverups like logs or metal sheets.

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

    The Spring Peeper, which is distinctively recognized by the X shaped marking on its back, is a member of the family hylidae which makes it a tree frog. These guys will call out in huge choruses and often drown out the sound of any other frogs calling and they start peeping right around the beginning of spring. 

 Spring Peeper Calling in Chorus

Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander (Plethodon chlorobryonis)

    This species was found underneath one of the pre-setup coverboards probably using it for shelter and gather up some moisture. It may have also been looking for some food. The slimy's main diet consists of spiders, harvestmen, and other such small terrestrial arthropods.

    You can identify this species by its solid black colored body which is covered in several tiny white dots. Adults of this species can be anywhere from 4.5 inches or as long as 8 inches from head to tail. 

    The slimy is a member of the Plethodontidae family of salamanders, commonly known as the lungless salamanders. The slimy doesn't breath with gills either as it is a terrestrial species, they instead breath through their skin and membranes lining their mouths and throats.